Clock



Oct 13, 1931. R. H. WHITEHEAD ET AL 1,827,179

CLOCK Filed June 13, 1927 Patented Oct. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RICHARD H. WHITEHEAD AND WILSON E. PORTER, or NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT,

ASSIGNORS TO THE NEW HAVEN PORATION Application filed June 13,

Our invention relates to an improvement in clocks particularly designed for use as automobile clocks, but not so limited, the object being to provide a clock with simple,

reliable, convenient and accessible settingmeans constructed with particular reference to normally leaving the hourand minutehands free of any restraint therefrom, whereby the time-keeping qualities of the clock are preserved unimpaired and whereby when the minute-hand is engaged it may be freely turned in either direction without loss of motion and hence of time.

lVith these ends in view, our invention consists in a clock provided with setting-means centrally located in its crystal and having certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a clock embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a view thereof in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view thereof, partly in vertical central section and partly in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a detached broken of the minute-hand;

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view showing the setting-spindle;

Fig. 6 is a corresponding view of the bearing-bushing; and 1 a Fig. 7 is a corresponding view of the retaining-washer. i

For the illustration of our invention, we. have shown it as embodied in an automobile clock, though its use is not so limited; For the description of our invention, it is sufficient to say that the clock 10 is provided with a bezel 11, a crystal 12 mounted therein, an hour-hand 13, a minute-hand 14, a dial 15, a center-arbor 16, and a sleeve 17 carrying the hour-hand 13. The features referred to may be of any approved construction and are the perspective view usual features to be found in clocks, save:

that the minute-hand is provided upon the outer face of its rounded inner end with a concentric disk-like clutch-member 18 swaged to it, as shown in Fig. 3, and having a centralopening 19 fitting with a drive fit over the CLOCK 00., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A COR- CLOCK 1927. serial No. 198,314.

outer end of the center-arbor 16. The said clutch-member 18 is formed in its outer face withtwo coupling-grooves 20 located at right angles with respect to each other. Either of these grooves is adapted to receive a couplingrib 21 pro'ecting from the inner face of a disk-like clutch-member 22, complementary to the clutch-member 18 and formed upon theinn'erend of a rotary and reciprocating setting-spindle 23, the outer end of which is shouldered for thereception of aknurled finger-button 24, over which the extreme outer end of the said spindle is swaged, as shown in Fig. 3. The said spindle is mounted in a bushing 25 shouldered to form a sleeve 26 passing outwardly through a hole 27 in the crystal 12 and through a hole 28 in the center of a retaining-washer 29 bearing directly upon the outer face of the crystal 12, the outer end of the sleeve shown in Fig. 3, over the outer face of the washer,-whereby the bushing 25, in which the spindle is free to rotate and reciprocate, is permanently secured in the crystal 12.

To normally maintain the coupling-rib 21 out of engagement with the coupling-grooves 20, we employ a helical retracting-spring 3O encircling the outer end of the said spindle 23 and interposed between the outer end of the sleeve 26 and the underface of the knurled finger-button 24.

To set'or re-set a clock embodying our invention, it is only necessary to press directly inward upon the finger-button 24 with sufficient pressure to overcome the tension of the spring 30. The button is then slightly rotated in one direction or the other until the coupling-rib 21 has been introduced into one or the other of the coupling-grooves 20, whereby the clutch-members 18 and 22 are joined, thus bringing the minuteand hourhands under the control'of the knurled fingerbutton 24, which is now rotated in one direction or the other as required for setting the hands. The moment the pressure of the fingers is removed from the finger-button 24, the helical retracting-spring 3O asserts itself to retract the setting-spindle and so disengage the clutch-member 22 from the clutchmember 18. The spindle is thereafter main- 26 being swaged, as

tained in its retired position by the retracting-spring until it is again pressed inward by the intentional effort of the user of the clock.

Under the construction described, the set- D V ting-mechanism 1S normally disengaged from the minute-hand and therefore imposes no restraint whatever upon the running of the clock the time-keeping qualities of which are therefore unaffected by the presence of the means for setting. At the same time, the setting-mechanism is of such a character that it does not permit the access of dust into the clock. and is so located as to afford the utmost convenience for the setting of the same. Moreover, the construction of our improved setting-means is such that its accidental operation and the consequent disturbance of the hourand minute-hands is so remote as to be negligible.

lVe claim:

In a clock, the combination with the center-arbor, hands and crystal thereof, of setting-means installed in the crystal in line with the center-arbor, and normally-separated clutch'members having symmetricallyarranged contacting portions, said clutchmembers being interposed between the said setting-means and the outermost of the hands and respectively carried by the center-arbor and the setting-means, the clutch-member carried by the center-arbor being located in front of the plane of the outermost hand, whereby the fouling of the outermost hand by the inter-engagement of the clutch-members is avoided.

In testimony whereof, we have signed this specification.

RICHARD H. \VHIT'EHEAD. VILSON E. PORTER. 

